Film and Screenwriting

Film and screenwriting is a degree that combines the critical study of cinema with the craft of writing for screen. Understanding film as an art form and understanding how screenplays construct the narrative, character and dialogue from which films are made are deeply complementary activities: the critic who has written scripts understands craft choices more precisely, and the screenwriter who has studied film seriously writes with greater awareness of the tradition they are working within.

At Birmingham City University, the three-year full-time programme develops your analytical skills in film studies alongside your practical screenwriting abilities. You will engage with international film and television, studying the formal elements of cinema, its history and its critical frameworks, while also developing your skills in writing for screen through the analysis of existing scripts and the creation of your own work across different formats and genres. The programme is taught by film scholars and established practitioners, combining academic depth with professional insight.

The degree includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you the opportunity to develop experience in the screen industries, film education or related fields before graduation.

Birmingham City University is located in a major media city, with BBC Birmingham, independent production companies and a growing film and television sector providing the professional context that enriches the degree and supports the placement opportunities.

Graduates work as screenwriters, story editors, script readers and development executives in the television and film industries, as well as in film journalism, film education, distribution and exhibition. Many develop portfolio careers combining writing with other screen industry work. Postgraduate study in screenwriting, film production or creative writing for screen and stage is a natural continuation for those who want to develop specialist expertise.